The game in 100 words (or less): Who gave MLS a full year’s supply of crazy pills this morning? The NYCFC-Montreal goalfest was actually quite tame in comparison to what D.C. United and Real Salt Lake did a few hours later — a 6-4 result in the nation’s capital which featured seven second-half goals. RSL had a commanding 2-0 lead after 21 minutes, until you remembered that United went 2-0 down to Philadelphia just last weekend and went on to win that game, 3-2. They held another 3-2 lead in this game, but it soon became 3-3, then 4-3, then 4-4, then 5-4, then 6-4. I admitted defeat to this game, stopped writing my running recap around the 60th minute mark and waited for the final whistle. The two teams combined for 39 shots (23 on target). Was this the MLS Game of the Year? I don’t know what I know right now, but I’ve watched a lot of MLS games this year, and it might just be.
[ MORE: NYCFC 2-3 MTL | OCSC 5-2 CLB | Drogba arrives | Johannsson to MLS? ]
The moments that mattered
21' — Beckerman’s blast stays low, pings off the post and goes in — 20 minutes later, Joao Plata picked up an assist to go with his goal. The diminutive Ecuadorian settled the ball and laid it off for Beckerman, whose first-time blast stayed low and found the back of the net via the left-hand post.
59' — Taylor Kemp did this…TAYLOR KEMP — That’s all. Nothing more needs to be said. Watch for yourself.
79' — Kitchen heads home the winner from Kemp’s cross — Mercifully, finally, United had a lead they could hold after Perry Kitchen headed home Kemp’s out-swinging cross.
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LINEUPS
D.C. United: Dykstra, Kemp, Birnbaum, Boswell, Korb, Rolfe (Doyle 78'), Kitchen, Arnaud, DeLeon, Saborio (Arrieta 82'), Espindola
Goals: Rolfe (42', 54' - PK), Kemp (59'), Espindola (63'), Kitchen (79'), DeLeon (85')
Real Salt Lake: Attinella, Mansally, Glad, Maund, Beltran, Mulholland (Gil 69'), Beckerman, Morales, Plata, Sandoval (Silva 82'), Jaime (Garcia 55')
Goals: Plata (2'), Beckerman (21'), Maund (62'), Mansally (68')